Pau Veciana Wins trick games888poker Live Barcelona Main Event

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Table Of Contents

• Final Table Results
• Final Table Action

Pau Veciana first picked up poker inside the Casino Barcelona. Today at the final table of the 888poker Live Barcelona Main Event, the local hero had his greatest moment in the place he’s always called home.

Veciana defeated David McConachie after a lengthy heads-up duel to win the trophy and €70,000 top prize for prevailing over the 459-player field, by far the biggest score in the career of someone who admits he only plays poker as a hobby.

“It means a lot to me. I’m from here. All my life, I’ve lived here, and it’s the casino where I started to play. It’s a dream come true,” Veciana said following his victory.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Earnings
1	Pau Veciana	Spain	€70,000
2	David McConachie	United Kingdom	€43,500
3	Mauro Panto	Italy	€30,000
4	Johnny Lindroos	Estonia	€21,500
5	Fabio Peluso	Italy	€16,650
6	Hector Garcia	Spain	€13,000
7	Cipriano Bonet	Spain	€10,200
8	Alexander Sokolovsky	Serbia	€8,000
9	Martin Guerrero	Spain	€6,305

Veciana had less than $10,000 in career earnings before this event. His last score of greater than $1,000 came more than a decade ago. He works as an architect and admits that even with the big score, his life and poker career aren’t going to change much.

“I think it’s not going to change a lot. I think I’m going to play the same tournaments I usually play. It’s a lot of money, but it’s not going to change my life,” he said.

For most of the final table, Veciana was a mere spectator as the flamboyant, erratic Mauro Panto took centre stage. Panto began as a big chip leader and, with his unpredictable play, outlandish raises, and go-for-broke style, quickly amassed a massive advantage over the rest of the field. At one point, he held nearly 80 percent of the chips in play. But it all came undone just as quickly as the Italian eventually busted in third place. It was a wild, memorable ride while it lasted as Veciana and the rest of the table had to adapt to a style seldom seen in the later stages of big tournaments.

“Incredible player. I tried to play the minimum range possible. When I hit some boards, I try to go all in against him. But it’s difficult to play against a player like him,” Veciana said.

McConachie was also trying to write his own history-making story. The UK pro had the opportunity to become the first-ever two-time champion on the 888poker Live tour and at one point was racing for the title heads-up against Veciana, but he eventually had to settle for second place.

Final Table Action

The final table began at 4 p.m. local time as nine players returned to Casino Barcelona to battle for the trophy. Panto had more than double his closest challenger with 9,730,000, while Veciana was in fourth place with 2,325,000.

Fabio Peluso was in danger of becoming the first casualty as the Italian WSOP bracelet winner got in his last 855,000 with two jacks but ran into Johnny Lindroos’ kings. Peluso, though, spiked a jack on the flop to double up. Panto then gave an early glimpse of the volatile style he was capable of.

Panto and Martin Guerrero went to a flop where Panto bet 750,000 in the dark before the dealer even revealed the cards. Guerrero called and Panto moved all in on the turn. Guerrero again called for 1,105,000 with two pair, but Panto had flopped trip jacks. The river improved Panto to quads and sent Guerrero, who began the final table in third place and was second in chips at the start of the hand, to the rail in ninth place.

It was a message to the other players that Panto was going to continue his can’t-lose style that he carried over from yesterday. He controlled more than 60 percent of the chips in play eight-handed. Everyone else seemed like they had to settle for playing for second.

Lindroos recovered from that beat against Peluso by picking up aces to triple up. Panto and Veciana then put Alexander Sokolovsky all in when Veciana turned a straight and shoved out Panto’s two pair on the river. Sokolovsky was left holding just ace-king and was eliminated in eighth place.

Lindroos doubled up again with kings to get back in contention, while Cipriano Bonet doubled up off Panto with two nines. Bonet then moved all in again against Panto with ace-jack, but Panto this time had the goods with two aces to score another knockout.

McConachie had just 690,000, good for only six big blinds, when he doubled up with two jacks against Hector Garcia. Garcia then moved all in for 640,000, and Panto called. Peluso reshoved for 1,445,000 in the big blind, and Panto again called with two jacks, while both Garcia and Peluso showed ace-king. Panto won the coin flip and earned the double knockout, Garcia taking sixth and Peluso fifth as the bigger stack.

Veciana got his second knockout of the final table when Lindroos moved all in for 1,355,000 on the button with ace-four, and Veciana woke up with ace-queen in the big blind. At the first break, Panto had 18,790,000 while Veciana was far behind in second with 4,080,000.

McConachie started to cut into Panto’s stack by doubling up three times in short succession. He first won with a queen-kicker after both he and Panto flopped two pair, then won with ace-queen as Panto called with queen-six. McConachie’s ace-ten then beat Panto’s queen-ten, but the biggest blow came in what proved to be their fourth all-in encounter. McConachie had turned a straight and moved all in for 3,615,000 on the river. Panto called with trip jacks and handed over the massive pot, losing the chip lead for the first time at the final table.

Panto had briefly retaken the lead before moving all in with bottom pair of threes as Veciana showed down two aces to double up and take his turn atop the leaderboard. Panto finally got his last 4,250,000 in with jack-seven and left the room for a cigarette as Veciana’s king-queen stayed in the lead, ending Panto’s fairy-tale-like run in third place.

Veciana led 18,185,000 to McConachie’s 5,540,000 at the start of a heads-up duel that lasted nearly three hours. McConachie doubled up with ace-queen against Veciana’s ace-five, then won a coin flip with two sixes to double again and pull virtually even right before the two players headed off on dinner break.

After briefly discussing a deal, they came back from break when Veciana bet 300,000 on an eight-high flop and McConachie raised to 1,100,000. Veciana called, and McConachie bet another 3,500,000 on the turn. Veciana again called to the river, where McConachie moved all in for 4,925,000. Veciana put him at risk, and McConachie, thinking his pair of eights, ten-kicker was beat, nodded his head in acknowledgement and got up from his seat. Veciana, though, could only show eights with a seven-kicker as McConachie took a massive chip lead, knocking Veciana down to just 10 big blinds.

Veciana doubled up in a coin flip when his king-queen flopped two pair against McConachie’s sixes. He then hit the nut flush and had his all-in shove for 6,500,000 on the river called by McConachie with a straight. McConachie was left short and moved all in for 4,350,000 in the big blind with king-six, but Veciana called with king-nine. The board gave both players two pair, and Veciana’s nine-kicker played to earn him the title.

It was a turbulent, swingy ride at the final table, but the architect had the best design to earn the title.